Reflections by award-winning maritime historian Joan Druett, author of many books about the sea

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Wednesday, October 3, 2012

October 3 is James Herriot's day

Those of you who are old enough will remember the hours of fun that animal-chronicler JAMES HERRIOT gave the world

He found both animals and humans funny, but displayed a wonderful tolerance and understanding, too.

James Herriot was the pen name of James Alfred Wight, also known as Alf Wight. Born 3 October 1916, he was a British veterinary surgeon who wrote a bestselling series of semi-authobiographical books of stories about animals and their owners, notably All Creatures Great and Small.

He always wanted to write a book, but his practice in Yorkshire kept him so busy that he didn't sit down at a typewriter until the age of fifty. Like most new writers, he collected rejection slips for a while, then realized that he had to focus on something he knew really well--life as a rural vet. If Only They Could Talk was the result, and was published in 1970, under a penname he chose after watching a Scottish football goalkeeper, Jim Herriot, on TV.

Sales were slow, but his publishers, Michael Joseph, accepted a second book, which didn't look promising, either, until the New York publisher, St Martin's Press, published both books in a single volume, called All Creatures Great and Small. It was an instant success, leading to many sequels, and movie and TV adaptations.